Electric car being charged at the EV port.rollingnews.ie
The Institute of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) released its official new car registration statistics for 2023 on January 2nd.
Overall, there were 121,850 vehicle registrations in Ireland in 2023, an increase of 16% on 2022 and 4% on 2019.
A total of 22,789 new electric vehicles were registered in Ireland in 2023, an increase of 45.4% from 2022 (15,678 registrations) and a 561.7% increase from 2019 (3,444 registrations).
SIMI also reported that the market share in 2023 will be 30.07% for gasoline, 22.16% for diesel, 18.70% for electric, 18.54% for hybrid, and 8.28% for plug-in hybrid.
Gasoline will continue to be the most popular engine type in 2023, with electric, hybrid and plug-in electric hybrids accounting for 45.5% of the market.
SIMI Executive Director Brian Cook commented: “2023 was a year of progress for the Irish automotive industry, both in terms of new car registrations and electric vehicle sales.
“New car registrations ended at 121,850 units, an increase of 16% year-on-year and 4% more than in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic.
“Growth in electric vehicle sales continued into 2023, with market share increasing from 15% in 2022 to nearly 19% in 2023. This represents a 45% increase in EV sales for the year. .”
“We expect some growth in EV sales again in 2024, but key to this will be government support, both in terms of vehicle and tax incentives and investment in fit-for-purpose charging infrastructure. This is continuous support.
“However, the mix of new car markets, from electric vehicles to hybrids to more traditional engine types, highlights the diverse nature of Irish motorists’ driving requirements, and the aging and zero-emissions of the domestic fleet. There is a shift towards cars and it will be essential if we want to get closer to Ireland’s climate change targets.”
ireland electric cars
According to Citizens Information, Zero Emission Vehicle Ireland has set a target of converting 30% of the country’s private vehicles to electric vehicles by 2030 under the Ireland Climate Action Plan 2023.
Ireland has several subsidy schemes for electric car owners. From 1 July 2023, drivers can receive a subsidy of up to €3,500 for battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs). The BEV subsidy only applies to new cars with a list price of €14,000 to €60,000.
As of January 1, 2024, the Home Charger Subsidy Scheme provides up to €300 towards the cost of installing a home charger. There are also EV apartment charging subsidies and electric vehicle public charging point subsidies for residences without private driveway access, such as apartments, duplexes and mixed-use developments.
The annual car tax rate for electric cars in Ireland is €120 per year for battery electric cars. Electric vehicles are subject to the lowest automobile tax rate.